Man becomes world champion for pie eating with 36 second achievement

We've all heard the phrase 'Who ate all the pies?' and this lad can now officially say that he can wolf them down the fastest.

This is because he's just won the World Pie Eating Championships on Tuesday (24 January), scoffing down a 12x3.5cm meat and potato pie in just 35.4 seconds.

You can see the competitors stuffing their faces below:

Barry Rigby, 49, from Wigan, Manchester, is no stranger to competitive pie eating and his skills in this department previously saw him crowned the fastest in 2009 and 2014.

Taking honour and glory out of the equation, Barry received the Bradley Piggins trophy for his efforts (and hopefully no indigestion).

He said of the competition: "It's been delayed because of Covid and the bad weather, I've just been waiting for it to start up again after a two-year absence.

"I'm a three-time world champion now. The trick is to take small bites and get small chunks in your mouth and swallow them as quick as you can."

The championships took place at Harry's Bar in Wigan, where brave athletes risked choking to be crowned the winner.

SWNS

Tony Callaghan, the organiser, said: "Barry first won the title in 2009, but demonstrated he's lost none of his talent.

"He matched the last championship-winning time, pre-pandemic in 2019, set by a monster of the sport Ian Gerrard: 35.4 seconds.

"It was a high-quality chunder - that's the collective noun we use for elite pie eaters - who barely left a crumb for the cleaners and demonstrated their true potential by hanging round for a free lunch afterwards.

"Although in the contest some did show that time away from the table during the pandemic does take its toll with a few competitors fighting swallow stall throughout.

"However, our efforts to follow a policy of sustainability have tripped up after the work experience lad was given instructions to find a recycled trophy but came back with a cycling club cup."

SWNS

The competition isn't held in Wigan by accident - it's because the locals there are famously fond of their pies - as they've proved in the championships, which have been running since 1992.

Previous pie-eating champions include Ian Gerrard, 43, and Martin Appleton-Clare, 41, who has taken home the trophy a staggering five times.

Both were present at this year's championships, but were beaten by Barry.

Clearly, lockdown helped him take his Wigan pie-eating skills to a whole new level.